File image.
Taliban fighters have seized a number of A-29 Super Tucano COIN (Counter-Insurgency) warplanes which were purchased by the US for the Afghan Air Force (AAF).
The warplanes were seized by the Taliban at the military section of Mazar-i-Sharif International Airport. The airport, as well as the city of Mazar-i-Sharif, were captured by the group’s fighters on August 14.
The US purchased a total of 26 A-29 warplanes for the AAF over the last five years. Only 19 were delivered before the Taliban take over.
TB posing with a captured plane at Mazar airport in Balkh. #Afghanistan pic.twitter.com/62dudFKjH5
— FJ (@Natsecjeff) August 15, 2021
The A-29 is easy to fly and maintain, and its considered one of the cheapest warplanes to operate. One hour of flight on it costs only $1,000.
The Super Tucano supplied to the AAF were equipped with AN/AAQ-22 Star SAFIRE II day\night observation and targeting electro-optical systems. The warplanes were also armed with GBU-58 Paveway II laser-guided bombs and APKWS laser-guided rockets.
Taliban fighters also captured at least one MD 530F Cayuse Warrior light scout attack helicopter at Mazar-i-Sharif International Airport.
TB seniors Qari Fasihuddin and Mullah Amanuddin at Mazar airport. #Afghanistan #Balkh pic.twitter.com/2Y7Uhaapbf
— FJ (@Natsecjeff) August 15, 2021
The US supplies more than 60 MD 530F helicopters to the AAF. The helicopter can be armed with FN HMP400 gun pods with FN M3P .50 BMG heavy machine gun or with M260 rocket pods with 7 unguided Hydra 70 rockets.
Over the last few days, the Taliban captured over a dozen helicopters, including Mi-8/17s, UH-60 Black Hawks and MD 530Fs. The group was only able to operate two Mi-8/17 which were left by Afghan government forces in an operational condition in Herat.
Now with Taliban taking over the leadership of Afghanistan, all the equipment supplied by the US to the AAF will end up in the hands of the group. The AAF will become the Taliban’s privet air force.
It will become the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan’s air force, not the Taliban’s privet (sic) air force.
China does not need to reverse engineer stuff like the Brazilian Super Tucano or the ancient Scan Eagle drone or bloody Humvees.
President Ghani leaves Afghanistan as US-backed govt relinquishes power to Taliban – media
Chinese have better tech than yanquis. Also, they are friends with Russia.
Swap Russia with Ukropisstan and its legit adolf.
Hitler was a great man I totally agree with that Hitler was great person History is written by victors and when it is no longer contested This applies here
Jewcunt loser There is no credible research document to substantiate if Holocaust took place
This is why the russians have hypersonic weapons, while the americans are desperately bribing every russian scientist they meet to try to steal Russia’s hypersonic weapons blueprints.
How’s American hypersonic technology coming along then……thought so, not too good !
Thats better than a Monthy Python scatch.
He has already landed in Tajikistan.
congrats to all of the CIA cocksuckers now women and children will be raped and beheaded again. congratulations, just like armenia you cock smoking dogs. Fixed it adolf…
Fall of Saigon Part II…
Another successful 20year war for the crumbling pedonazi americant empire…
Under Hitler you would have been sent to the KZ. Morons were considered unworthy to live.
Yes, like they’d bother reverse engineering American scrap…..it’s 30 years out of date.